A free wireless internet service in Port Chalmers New Zealand goes live this weekend, coinciding with the arrival of Sea Princess and her 2900 passengers and crew, and the beginning of the cruise ship season.

Otago Polytechnic has teamed up with Port Otago to deliver free wireless internet to Port Chalmers, in a bid to encourage more passengers and crew from visiting cruise ships to get off the vessels and explore Port Chalmers and Dunedin.

The project is part of Otago Polytechnic’s exciting new Sustainable Community Enterprise pilot programme focusing on community partnerships and social innovation, explains the Polytechnic’s Professor of Information Technology, Samuel Mann.

“This is the first of three case studies that make up our pilot programme, combining educational opportunity, sustainable community building and positive operational outcomes. Put simply, these projects are win, win, win,” he says.

The Polytechnic established the wireless network in collaboration with Unifone, and is responsible for the provision of free Wi-Fi to the main street of Port Chalmers and a user-pays service aboard docked cruise ships. Port Otago is responsible for providing a free Wi-Fi hotspot for use by cruise ship passengers and crew on its wharf, alongside an iSite visitor information kiosk.

Users within all three zones will first be directed to a webpage promoting the many sights, attractions and local businesses in Port Chalmers.

Port Otago’s Commercial Manager, Peter Brown, describes the company’s collaboration with the Polytechnic as “serendipitous”.

“Port Otago has been planning to bring Wi-Fi to the wharf for some time. When we heard about Otago Polytechnic’s plans, it made sense for us to utilise the same network to achieve our goal,” he says.

The 1950 passengers and 950 crew members of the Sea Princess will be the first visitors able to use the Wi-Fi services when the ship docks at Port Chalmers from 8.00am-6.00pm on Sunday 14 October.